Background The Type 92 Battalion Gun (1932) 九二式歩兵砲 was designed in response to issues with the Type 11 37mm Infantry Gun and the Type 11 70mm Infantry Mortar. Both lacked sufficient firepower and range, and infantry divisions did not like the fact that they had to carry two different types of weapons with different ammunition into combat. As a result, the Army Technical Bureau developed a design which could be used as either an infantry support gun to take out fortified positions, machine gun nests and light armor, but also could be configured as a mortar for high angle support fire. The caliber of the new weapon was increased to 70mm to address the issue of inadequate firepower. The new design was available to front line divisions by 1932.